Disposable shopping cart handle sanitary cover

ABSTRACT

A cart grip sanitary cover is provided having multiple layers each with a top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween. The bottom face of each layer has adhesive formed thereon for adhering to a top face of an adjacent layer therebeneath. The layers are stacked with a bottommost layer being attachable to a grip of a cart. In use, a topmost layer of the sanitary cover is removable for exposing another layer therebeneath for providing a sanitary surface to be gripped by a user.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to shopping carts, and more particularlyto shopping cart handle sanitary covers.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Most of the public buys groceries at supermarkets. Probably just abouteveryone has grabbed one of the shopping carts at a supermarket andpushed it around while buying groceries and other items. The handle orgrip of the shopping cart is tubular in shape and is normally made froma tubular metal or plastic product. Everyone else that has previouslyused the shopping cart grabs the grip at the same place while pushingthe shopping cart.

Because the shopping carts will be used for years and because theshopping carts are either never cleaned or not cleaned in a sanitarymanner, germs can be passed from one shopper to the next. In otherwords, a person using the shopping cart previously may have had acommunicable disease. Shoppers using that same cart thereafter will begrabbing the same shopping cart grip in the same manner as the personwho had the communicable disease.

Young children and infants are especially at risk as they are placed inthe seat of the shopping cart where they inevitably put their mouths onthe grip or put their hands in their mouths after having them on thegrip. As medical science tells us, many diseases are susceptible tobeing transmitted by hand contact, such as staff and strep bacteria andnumerous flu viruses.

In the past, the only feasible thing a shopper could do is to bringsomething to wipe off the grip of the shopping cart prior to use.

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION

A cart grip sanitary cover is provided having multiple layers each witha top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween. Thebottom face of each layer has adhesive formed thereon for adhering to atop face of an adjacent layer therebeneath. The layers are stacked witha bottommost layer being attachable to a grip of a cart. In use, atopmost layer of the sanitary cover is removable for exposing anotherlayer therebeneath for providing a sanitary surface to be gripped by auser.

In one embodiment, the layers may each be flexible and formed of anelastomeric material (i.e. plastic, rubber, etc.). As an option, thelayers of the sanitary cover may be stacked so that the peripheriesthereof are in alignment.

In another embodiment, the layers of the sanitary cover may each have arectangular configuration. Further, the layers of the sanitary cover mayeach have an area substantially similar to an area of the grip of thecart. Still yet, the layers of the sanitary cover may each have asubstantially similar shape and size.

In still another embodiment, a non-adhesive covering may be positionedon the bottom face of the bottommost layer of the sanitary cover forprotecting the adhesive of the bottommost layer. Such non-adhesivecovering may be removable for attachment of the adhesive of thebottommost layer of the sanitary cover to the grip of the cart.

In still yet another embodiment, a dispensing container may be providedfor storing a plurality of the sanitary covers. Such dispensingcontainer may include an opening for dispensing the sanitary coverstherefrom.

As an option, the cart may include a shopping cart, or any othercart-like device with a grip.

A method is also provided for affording a sanitary surface on a grip ofa cart. Initially, a sanitary cover similar to that describedhereinabove is attached to a grip of a cart. Next, a topmost layer ofthe sanitary cover is removed for exposing another layer therebeneathfor providing a sanitary surface for being gripped by a user.

In another embodiment, a cart grip sanitary cover formed of a singlelayer is provided with a top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formedtherebetween. The bottom face of the sanitary cover has adhesive formedthereon. Further, a non-adhesive covering is positioned on the bottomface of the sanitary cover for protecting the adhesive. Suchnon-adhesive covering is adapted for being removed for attachment of theadhesive to a grip of a cart. For providing an optimal sanitary surface,the sanitary cover has an area substantially similar to an area of thegrip of the cart.

These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparentupon reading the following detailed description and studying the variousfigures of the drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other aspects and advantages are better understoodfrom the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a shopping cart equipped with a sanitarycart grip cover, in accordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a close-up perspective view of the sanitary cart grip cover ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the sanitary cart grip cover of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cart grip sanitarycover taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates a close-up side view of the sanitary cover prior tobeing attached to the grip of the cart, in accordance with oneembodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment sanitary cover including asingle layer.

FIG. 7 illustrates an optional dispensing container that may be used todispense any of the embodiments set forth hereinabove.

FIG. 8 illustrates a method for affording a sanitary surface on a gripof a cart, in accordance with one embodiment.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a shopping cart 100 including a basket portion 102having a bottom 104 and a plurality of sides 106 coupled thereto andextending upwardly therefrom. The basket portion 102 thus defines aninterior space 108 for storing articles therein. Also included is aplurality of wheels coupled to the bottom 104 of the shopping cart 100for transporting purposes.

The shopping cart 100 further includes a handle assembly 110 having apair of substantially vertical posts 112 with inboard ends coupled tothe sides 106 of the shopping cart 100 and extending upwardly andrearwardly therefrom. Associated therewith is a substantially horizontalhandle 114 coupled to outboard ends of the posts 112. Such handle 114further includes a grip 116 for being handled by a user to maneuver theshopping cart 100.

In one embodiment, the grip 116 includes a substantially tubularconfiguration and is constructed from a plastic material. In variousother embodiments, the grip 116 may be constructed from a separate orintegral metallic or elastomeric piece, or any other material with anydesired type of configuration that is capable of being gripped by auser.

While a shopping cart 100 is specifically described, it should be notedthat the principles set forth herein may be applied in the context ofany cart-like device. For example, an airport luggage cart, any cartused by multiple users, or any other cart-like device may be consideredwithin the scope of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1 and more particularly in FIGS. 2 and 3, also includedis a cart grip sanitary cover 118 having multiple layers 120 each with atop face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween. The layers120 are stacked one on top of another with a bottommost layer 121 beingattached to the grip 116 of the cart 100. In use, a topmost layer 122 ofthe sanitary cover 118 is removable for exposing another layer 120therebeneath for providing a sanitary surface for being gripped by auser. Thus, each user of the cart 100 is provided with a new sanitarysurface to grip 116 during use.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of the cart grip sanitarycover 118 taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3. As shown, the layers 120 ofthe sanitary cover 118 may be stacked so that the peripheries thereofare in alignment. Further, the layers 120 of the sanitary cover 118 mayeach have a substantially similar shape and size. Of course, the sizesand shapes may be altered per the desires of the user.

In one embodiment, each layer 120 may have a thickness of less than1/16^(th) of an inch or, even more preferably, less than 1/32^(nd) or1/64^(th) of an inch. By this design, any large number of layers 120 maybe included without substantially augmenting the diameter of the grip116.

Still yet, the layers 120 of the sanitary cover 118 may each have anouter surface area and length substantially similar to an area andlength of the grip 116 of the cart 100, respectively, for providingoptimal sanitary protection. In one embodiment, this similarity mayrange between 50%-150% of the area and length of the grip 116 of thecart 100. Of course, this design may be varied per the desires of theuser.

As an option, antibacterial agents or other types of sanitizingsubstances may be used to lace the layers 120 of the sanitary cover 118.This feature may be used to further enhance the sanitary function of thesanitary cover 118.

FIG. 5 illustrates a side view of the sanitary cover 118 prior to beingattached to the grip 116 of the cart 100, in accordance with oneembodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, each of the layers 120 is equipped witha smooth planar top face, a smooth planar bottom face, and a rectangularperiphery formed therebetween. The bottom face of each layer 120 hasadhesive 500 formed on an entire surface thereof for adhering to a topface of an adjacent layer 120.

A bottommost layer 121 has a non-adhesive covering 502 on the bottomface thereof for protecting the adhesive of the bottommost layer 121. Asan option, the non-adhesive covering may have an area and a lengthsubstantially similar to an area and length of the remaining layers 120set forth hereinabove. Moreover, the non-adhesive covering may beconstructed of waxed paper or any other suitable material.

In use, a topmost layer 122 of the sanitary cover 118 is removable forexposing another layer 120 therebeneath for providing a sanitary surfacefor being gripped by a user.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternate embodiment 600 including a single layer602. A bottom face of such single layer 602 has adhesive 606 formedthereon. Further, a non-adhesive covering 608 similar to the one of FIG.5 is positioned on the bottom face of the present embodiment forprotecting the adhesive 606. Such non-adhesive covering 608 is adaptedfor being removable for attachment of the adhesive 606 of the presentembodiment to a grip 116 of the cart 100.

The present embodiment is thus adapted for being applied to a grip 116of the cart 100 one by one, and disposed after use. In the alternative,the present embodiment may be applied one after another, leavingprevious layers on the grip 116 of the cart 100.

FIG. 7 illustrates an optional dispensing container 700 that may be usedto dispense any of the embodiments set forth hereinabove. As shown, suchdispensing container is equipped with a substantially rectangularconfiguration including a bottom face 702, a top face 704, and aplurality of side faces 706 formed therebetween. An interior space isthus defined for storing the sanitary covers 118 and/or 600. Further,the top face 704 of the dispensing container 700 includes an opening 708for dispensing the sanitary covers 118 and/or 600 therefrom.

As such, the sanitary covers 118 and/or 600 are each dispensable fromthe dispensing container 700 and the associated non-adhesive covering isremovable for attachment of the associated adhesive to the grip 116 ofthe cart 100.

FIG. 8 illustrates a method 800 for affording a sanitary surface on agrip 116 of the cart 100, in accordance with one embodiment. Initially,in operation 802, a sanitary cover 118 similar to that describedhereinabove is removed from a dispenser like that shown in FIG. 7 or anyother type of dispenser. Next, in operation 804, the non-adhesivecovering is removed for exposing an adhesive layer on a bottommost oneof the layers 120 or, in the embodiment of a single layer, exposing anadhesive layer on the single layer.

Next, in operation 806, the sanitary cover 118 is attached to the grip116 of the cart 100. This may be accomplished by wrapping the sanitarycover 118 around the grip 116 of the cart 100, and adhering it thereto.

Then, in the embodiment of FIG. 5 including multiple layers 120, a toplayer may be removed at any time for exposing another layer therebeneathfor providing a sanitary surface to be gripped by a user. See operation808. As an option, a corner, side or edge of each layer 120 may beequipped with a tab or some other non-adhesive member that may begripped by a user to facilitate the removal process. This operation maybe continued until a bottommost layer 121 is exposed, after which a newsanitary cover 118 may be dispensed and applied to the grip 116 of thecart 100.

As will be understood from the above, the present invention provides asimple and effective means for covering or shielding the grips of carts100 and the like to prevent contamination of the user of such carts 100with disease or infectious residues left from previous users of the cart100. Various improvements and alternative arrangements for the basicarrangement of such cover to be attached or placed over the cart gripare disclosed.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should beunderstood that they have been presented by way of example only, and notlimitation. Thus, the breadth and scope of a preferred embodiment shouldnot be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments, butshould be defined only in accordance with the following claims and theirequivalents.

1. A shopping cart grip sanitary cover system, comprising: a shoppingcart including a basket portion having a bottom and a plurality of sidescoupled thereto and extending upwardly therefrom for defining aninterior space for storing articles therein, a plurality of wheelscoupled to the bottom of the shopping cart for transporting the shoppingcart, and a handle assembly including a pair of substantially verticalposts with inboard ends coupled to the sides of the shopping cart andextending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom, a substantially horizontalhandle coupled to outboard ends of the posts, wherein the handleincludes a grip for being handled by a user to maneuver the shoppingcart; a plurality of sanitary covers each including multiple flexibleelastomeric layers of a similar size and shape and each having arectangular configuration with a smooth top face, a smooth bottom face,and a rectangular periphery formed therebetween, the bottom face of eachlayer having adhesive formed thereon for adhering to a top face of anadjacent layer, the layers being stacked with a bottommost layer havinga non-adhesive covering on the bottom face thereof for protecting theadhesive of the bottommost layer; and a dispensing container with asubstantially rectangular configuration including a bottom face, a topface, and a plurality of side faces formed therebetween for defining aninterior space for storing the sanitary covers, the top face of thedispensing container including an opening for dispensing the sanitarycovers therefrom; whereby the sanitary covers are each dispensable fromthe dispensing container and the non-adhesive covering is removable forattachment of the adhesive of the bottommost layer to the grip of theshopping cart, a topmost layer of each sanitary cover being removablefor exposing another layer therebeneath for providing a sanitary surfacefor being gripped by the user.
 2. A cart grip sanitary cover,comprising: a sanitary cover including multiple layers each with a topface, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween, the bottomface of each layer having adhesive formed thereon for adhering to a topface of an adjacent layer, the layers being stacked with a bottommostlayer being attachable to a grip of a cart; wherein a topmost layer ofthe sanitary cover is removable for exposing another layer therebeneathfor providing a sanitary surface for being gripped by a user.
 3. Thecart grip sanitary cover as recited in claim 2, wherein the layers areeach flexible.
 4. The cart grip sanitary cover as recited in claim 2,wherein the layers are each formed of an elastomeric material.
 5. Thecart grip sanitary cover as recited in claim 2, wherein the layers eachhave a rectangular configuration.
 6. The cart grip sanitary cover asrecited in claim 2, wherein the layers each have an area substantiallysimilar to an area of the grip of the cart.
 7. The cart grip sanitarycover as recited in claim 2, wherein the layers each have asubstantially similar shape and size.
 8. The cart grip sanitary cover asrecited in claim 2, wherein the layers are stacked so that theperipheries thereof are in alignment.
 9. The cart grip sanitary cover asrecited in claim 2, and further comprising a non-adhesive coveringpositioned on the bottom face of the bottommost layer of the sanitarycover for protecting the adhesive of the bottommost layer, thenon-adhesive covering being removable for attachment of the adhesive ofthe bottommost layer of the sanitary cover to the grip of the cart. 10.The cart grip sanitary cover as recited in claim 9, and furthercomprising a dispensing container for storing a plurality of thesanitary covers.
 11. The cart grip sanitary cover as recited in claim10, wherein the dispensing container includes an opening for dispensingthe sanitary covers therefrom.
 12. The cart grip sanitary cover asrecited in claim 10, wherein the cart includes a shopping cart.
 13. Amethod of providing a sanitary surface on a grip of a cart, comprising:attaching a sanitary cover to a grip of a cart, the sanitary coverincluding multiple layers each with a top face, a bottom face, and aperiphery formed therebetween, the bottom face of each layer havingadhesive formed thereon for adhering to a top face of an adjacent layer;and removing a topmost layer of the sanitary cover for exposing anotherlayer therebeneath for providing a sanitary surface for being gripped bya user.
 14. The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the layers areeach flexible. 15 The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the layersare each formed of an elastomeric material.
 16. The method as recited inclaim 13, wherein the layers each have a rectangular configuration. 17.The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the layers each have an areasubstantially similar to an area of the grip of the cart.
 18. The methodas recited in claim 13, wherein the layers each have a substantiallysimilar shape and size.
 19. The method as recited in claim 13, whereinthe layers are stacked so that the peripheries thereof are in alignment.20. The method as recited in claim 13, and further comprising removing anon-adhesive covering on the bottom face of the bottommost layer of thesanitary cover, the non-adhesive covering being removable for attachmentof the adhesive of the bottommost layer of the sanitary cover to thegrip of the cart.
 21. The method as recited in claim 20, and furthercomprising removing the sanitary cover from a dispensing container. 22.The method as recited in claim 21, wherein the dispensing containerincludes an opening for dispensing the sanitary covers therefrom. 23.The method as recited in claim 13, wherein the cart includes a shoppingcart.
 24. A cart grip sanitary cover, comprising: a sanitary cover witha top face, a bottom face, and a periphery formed therebetween, thebottom face of the sanitary cover having adhesive formed thereon; and anon-adhesive covering positioned on the bottom face of the sanitarycover for protecting the adhesive, the non-adhesive covering beingremovable for attachment of the adhesive of the sanitary cover to a gripof a cart; wherein the sanitary cover has an area substantially similarto an area of the grip of the cart.
 25. A method of providing a sanitarysurface on a grip of a cart, comprising: attaching a sanitary cover to agrip of a cart, the sanitary cover including a top face, a bottom face,and a periphery formed therebetween, the bottom face of the sanitarycover having adhesive formed thereon, the sanitary cover including anon-adhesive covering positioned on the bottom face of the sanitarycover for protecting the adhesive; and removing the non-adhesivecovering for attachment of the adhesive of the sanitary cover to a gripof a cart.